Missouri turkey hunters report bird population improvement

Missouri turkey hunters report taking nearly 8,500 birds last month, a 20 percent increase from October 2011.

The state Conservation Department says southwestern Missouri's Webster County led the way with 225 birds.

Conservation officials said the outlook is good for the upcoming spring turkey season. That is after a string of seasons in which Missouri's turkey population struggled because of wet weather that can be difficult for ground-nesting wildlife.